The Pink Scarf Project

 

The beautiful woman above died of breast cancer 46 years ago.

She was my mother. I was 8 years old. (That’s me in with Mom in the photo.)

 

Vicki at http://vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.com/ is doing something wonderful for ladies with breast cancer, and she is inviting us ALL to participate. Vicki has created a project of  great love called The Pink Scarf Project.  Each and every one of us can participate because the scarf can but does not have to be handmade. Please click on the image above, visit Vicki’s blog and consider participating in this loving project. I’m going to participate in honor of my mom.

 

This Saturday I am going to Vogue Knitting Live in NYC, and I am going to look for the most gorgeous pink yarn I can find to make the scarf for Vicki’s project. I will share it with you next week. I am absolutely tickled pink about attending Vogue Knitting Live. It is an amazing event!

 

Many thanks to Beverly for hosting the Saturday Pink Saturday party. If you want to know more about Beverly’s Pink Saturday blog party just click on the image above.

 

With love,

Terry

Mom’s Favorite Color Was Pink

 

Mom’s favorite color was pink.

No, not just any pink.

Fuchsia. Deep, dark, bright pink. Fuchsia is dark and bright at the same time. Isn’t it?

Here is mom on my sister Helen’s wedding day. May 15, 1967. That’s me beside her. I love those sunglasses!

 

 

Here she is – having some fun.  I’m told the apple didn’t fall fall from the tree.

 

Mom passed away, January 5, 1967. 46 years ago yesterday.

I was eight years old.

She was 47.

She died from breast cancer.

Her favorite color was pink.

Before it became the color for breast cancer.

She was ahead of her time.

 

It’s hard to lose your mom whether you are eight or fifty-eight. There is no good age to lose your mom.

 

She didn’t leave me alone though.

She left me with these wonderful people.

 

My amazing dad,  

 

 

my sister Ann,

 

 

my sister Helen,

 

 

and my brother Jim.

 

A lot of wine glasses. Huh? I guess all the apples did not fall far from the tree.

 

You may have noticed that I am the baby in the family. My sister Ann is 17 years older than me, Helen is 14 years older and Jim is 11 years older. When Mom died they were 25, 22, and 19. All terribly young to lose your mom, but they had something I did not – MEMORIES. They had many more memories of mom than I did.

 

So, guess what these wonderful people did when I turned 40?

 

Are you ready?

 

 

 

 

They created for me an absolutely amazing memory book. No, not just photos, but memories, lots and lots of memories.

 

 

 

Like these

 

 

 

and these.

 

38 pages of beautiful memories.

 

The opening letter in the book reads:

Dear Terry,

You’ve always been the baby of the family so it doesn’t seem possible to us that our baby is now 40 years old. We decided that we wanted something very special for you on this birthday and realized that we had the one gift that no-one could give you – the shared memories we have of our mother.

We have put together what we could remember and collected memories from other members of the family. You will notice that some memories contradict others but we thought that we would leave them as each person remembers differently and that is the way life is. We think we have remembered clearly then find that we were missing a bit of information that changes the focus slightly.

We’ve called it “Snapshots of Our Mother” as none of carries the whole picture but hope that it will give you some idea of who she was and what she was like.

This was done with much love and we hope that you will treasure it as we have treasured you.

To our littlest sister from your loving brother and sisters.

Ann, Helen and Jim

 

They had written to every living member of our family and asked them to send memories of our mother. Every single family member responded. All of their memories are included in this book, and I have the hand written letters they sent my sister. All hand written. No emails. 15 years ago there was not a computer in every household.

 

Now, this weekend, 46 years since the day mom passed, Ann, Helen and Jim are still with me. Thank You, God. Ann is now 71, Helen is 68 and Jim is 65. I am 54. God may have needed to take Mom home when I was 8, but He blessed me abundantly with a wonderful dad  (Dad passed away in 1987) and amazing siblings.

 

Due to technology every member of our family has their own copy of the book. Ann published it on blurb.com. My children each received their own copy. Now they will know more about the grandmother that they never met than I would ever been able to tell them.

LOVE – life is all about Love, and I have been so blessed.

 

Thank you, Beverly at http://www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ for your Pink Saturday party.

Also please consider visiting this beautiful blog: http://www.thefrenchhutch.com/2012/12/home-for-holidays.html

I Love Snow! I Love Snowmen!

Hi, everyone!

Merry Christmas!  

Happy Holidays!  

I want to begin by thanking Beverly at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com for her weekly Pink Saturday party. I have been away from my blog for a while, and Beverly is my inspiration for returning. Thank you, Beverly!

The party invitation said to share your snow/snowmen, so grab your cup of coffee and let’s go!

 

This is the inside of my hutch. Lots of snowmen!

We have twinkle lights inside and it looks so pretty at night. Keeping the garland on the top was a challenge. After frustrating both myself and my husband I finally gave in and let him put two small nails on the top. Now, the garland stays put.

This beautiful guy stands on top of the hutch. I love the way he looks with the red cardinal.

Check out the adorable one sitting on the door on the left. He has sand in his bottom, which helps him stay put.

Our home has lots of Americana decorations, so, of course, we had to have an Uncle Sam snowman.

 

My sister Helen bought this snowman rug for me for Christmas this year. Isn’t he gorgeous? Helen makes the best Christmas cookies in the whole world.

My mother-in-law got this adorable snow couple for me at The Christmas Tree Shop. Love The Christmas Tree Shop!

My husband’s cousin Beth gave me this precious mitten box years ago when my children were little. I really did keep their mittens in it. Now it holds my husbands cell phone charger and other electronic gadgets.

I love this snowman lamp! I am a teacher and one of my students gave this to me several years ago. His mom got it through the Avon catalog. Isn’t he precious?

This guy sits on top of our guest bathroom toilet. I thought I would spare you the picture of the toilet. He is a wise guy snowman. He is motion censored, and when you walk into the bathroom, actually when you walk past the bathroom, he talks. He says, “Ho, ho, ho, who’s gotta go?” and “Here in the bathroom don’t mind me. I’m here to keep you company.” and “Whatcha doing? On second thought, never mind. He, he, he.” and “Pull up a seat and make yourself comfy.” and “If you need any presents wrapped, I’ve got plenty of paper in here.”  and “Are you okay? You look a bit flushed. Get it? Flushed!”  He drives my husband crazy, but I think he is hysterical! He came from our local Hallmark Store.

 

This too came from the Avon catalog, about 20 years ago. My 24 year old daughter Shannon still insists that he gets put up every year. She has one in her bedroom too. Shannon loves to decorate for Christmas. I told her that when she moves out I hope she comes home to help me decorate every year.

This great guy was a gift from my mother-in-law too. The “Fresh Cut Christmas Trees” sign was handmade by my husband’s cousin Ken and his wife Isabel. I love handmade!

 

I love this snowman banner. We have a company called “Books Are Fun” that comes to school and sets up in the teachers’ room all kinds of books, gadgets, decorations, etc. for amazing prices. This only cost me about ten dollars. It is painted on a piece of heavy cloth, duck cloth I think. Every time I look at it I think, “I should try to make one of those.” But I never do. I should have bought twenty of them to give away, because everyone who comes to visit loves it.

This lights change color.

Placemats on my kitchen counter.

 

The white board hanging on my laundry room door. I love snow! The little wanted sign reads, “WANTED JOLLY MEN BEARING GIFTS.”

 

I live in North Jersey and we have had three good snow storms already this year. I watched a little squirrel all summer carry hickory nuts across my front yard and up into the woods. He did this at least six times a day from June through September. I’m thinking we are going to have a pretty stormy winter. He certainly was prepared for Superstorm Sandy.

I took the following photos one morning after a snowfall at sunrise. So pretty!

 

From my home and heart to yours,

TERRY

What Will Be Your Job in Heaven?

Debbie Macomber writes in her book One Perfect Word that God spoke to her heart, and told her that there are wonderful books for her to write when she is in heaven.

Can you imagine loving what you do here on earth so much that you look forward to doing it in heaven?

That got me thinking.

What do I want my job to be in heaven?

I want to sit by a beautiful lake and knit angel wings. I can see them in my mind. They are white with glittery specks of silver or gold. They are so light one would not even know they were there. They will come in all sizes, as angels come in all sizes.

 

However, I will not be sitting alone all the time. I will have visitors who stop by on their way to do their job in heaven, and they will sit and talk and rest and then go on their way to do their work.

 

I will be a listener. Not a preacher or a teacher. ( I am a teacher here on earth.) I will be a listener. A knitter and a listener.

 

I will have lemonade or lemon tea with lemon cookies for those who stop by. I will provide a joyful peaceful moment for them. If they need new wings, I will give them those too.

 

I will have a little house where I keep my knitting materials, bake the lemon cookies and make the lemonade and the tea. I will also spend time with God every day.

 

I am dreaming of living my heaven life while I am here on earth. I can knit. I can listen. I can do my very best to provide peace and joy for others. I can spend time with God every day.

 

What will be your job in heaven?